Equity and Inclusion
NAAEE is committed to advancing equity and inclusion in the environmental education field. Throughout the conference, we focused on race, justice, and sustainability in our plenary sessions and several workshops. In addition, at least 15 percent of our concurrent sessions explored strategies and programs that help diversify our audiences as well as our workforce, build cultural competence, support environmental justice, engage with new audiences, forge new and lasting partnerships, honor traditional knowledge, and increase our reach and relevance throughout society. Affinity groups, including the Environmental Professionals of Color (EPOC) and the Queer Environmental Education Network (QEEN), also held meetings.
About

Annual Conference
Our 2022 conference focused on the powerful role education can play in creating healthier communities and tackling today’s complex environmental and social issues. We delved into vital topics in our field such as climate change education and climate justice, the benefits of connecting to nature, building a green workforce, protecting biodiversity, and centering equity in our work. We explored creative new approaches that emerged from the pandemic and ways in which current research can increase our effectiveness as we work to transform communities so they are more sustainable and just.

Research Symposium
NAAEE’s annual Research Symposium convened researchers from around the globe to explore the current state and future directions of environmental education research. Participants engaged in spirited dialogue about ongoing research and studies in their initial stages, fostering collaboration among researchers, graduate students, policymakers, and practitioners at all stages of their careers. The symposium seeks to advance the use of practices proven to be effective as we confront myriad challenges ranging from climate change to environmental, economic, and racial injustices.